A Matter of Moments
by OverSeas
Summary: Harry Potter is Dead... Voldemort has returned, and is in total power. See what happens without Harry for 6 years on the day Voldemort attacks Hogwarts. My name is Hermione Granger, I am 23 years old, and I am a slave.
1. Chapter 1

*Disclaimer*- I do not own any Harry Potter related character's or ideas. They all belong to the fabulous J.K. Rowling.

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Voldemort has won…Harry was dead.

At least that's what everyone had thought…..

*flashback*

Voldemorts booming voice rang through the grounds of Hogwarts…"Harry Potter is Dead! Surrender or prepare to Die...!" At these words my heart clenched and my vision became blurry. Harry was dead? Surely not… We had been fighting too hard for it to be that easy, too long for him not to be victorious.

But as the death eaters gained control over Hogwarts, it seemed that my fears were coming true…

***

"Hermione wake up! You're disturbing the others!" Ginny shakes me as I slowly open my tear-encrusted eyes… "Wasts the madder?" I groggily ask. "You were crying again… louder this time…" Ginny sniffs. "Try to go back to sleep, we have a long day tomorrow."

I turn over on my ragged pillow, huddle in a ball to keep warm, and sigh…I did not look forward to the day that lay ahead. It would be just the same as all the others: tiring and useless… for it had been six years since the fateful day that Lord Voldemort gained control of the world, both wizarding and muggle, and dispersed many people that fought against him into concentration camps, wandless and out of control.

My name is Hermione, I am 23 years old, and I am a slave.


	2. Chapter 2

As the sun slowly dawned… the swirling midnight mist started to evaporate from the the concentration camp's muddy ground. Crows flew down to the earth to slowly pick up any sign of food. Before they got their chance however… a screaming, morning alarm rang through the camp…waking up every living soul within miles.

I yelled in surprise but quickly calmed down. Ginny jumped from her cot, and stared to hastily pull on her work clothes, uncaring of anyone watching her naked form. The barracks were co-ed, only splitting the sexes by putting females on north side of the room, and males on the south. After six years, it rarely mattered anymore.

We walked in silence to the distribution of bread and cheese, both still groggy from my midnight disturbance. "So what was your dream about anyways?" Ginny asked.

She and I had become very close... we were the only two in the camp that knew each other outside the walls before going into this place…

"Same thing" I muttered. "I still can't believe it happened."

Ginny nodded. I felt bad when I looked at her sunken, sullen face. Her beautiful green eyes have grown dull and faded, no doubt mimicking my own.

After eating our scarce morning rations, we set out to work separating rocks for the new wall that was to be built. Apparently, Voldemort was stronger than ever and was in need of more camps. To even imagine that a resistance still existed made my terrible days slightly better. I constantly craved news on the outside world, if such a thing was real.

We worked at a steady pace into the afternoon, with no real exciting events besides the fact that Ginny smashed her finger, and having her cries disrupt the silence.

When dusk started to arrive, we heard the distant evening bell, and slowly started to make our way back to the barracks, both of us hungry, depressed and tired, making me more than ever want the past to be the present.

"Damn you Harry… Damn you to hell." I whispered, as I climbed into my cot, and passed out from exhaustion.


	3. Chapter 3

"Harry Nooooo!" I screamed his name as I saw Hagrid carry his limp body across the grounds. "Noooo!" I continued to scream, and flail onto the cold ground…unable to hold back my tears of anguish. I sobbed into my knees, trying to ignore the death eaters shaking me. I would never go with them.

"Hermione! Get up!" A Death Eater yelled at me. "Get Up! Get Up!"

I fall out of my cot and thrash about. "What the he…" I catch my breath as I look up at my death eater. Out of the darkness loomed… something pink? I shake my head, still disorientated. I groan and grab the arm I landed on, it was throbbing with pain.

"Are you alright 'Mione?" The nick name startled me.

"Stay very quiet," the voice continues, "Lumos."

I open my mouth to scream, but their hand clamps over my mouth, casting a silencing charm on my throat. I sat their voicing soundlessly and mouthing my unheard words with my lips.

"Tonks?!!" I mouthed.

She smiles and nods. Despite her terrible health and appearance of aging very fast, her smile made her features incredibly better.

I get up and hug her, starting to silently sob, and unable to stand up. She grabs my arm and leads me outside of the barracks, into a black corner where the two stone walls meet. She takes the silencing charm off of me, only when I promise to be quiet.

The first question I had was, "How did you get in here?!"

She sighs, "a rat… now we don't have much time. Go back inside and get Ginny before sunrise. I'm helping you two escape."

Tears start to gush down my face as I tip toe back into the creaky Barrack. I kneel down beside Ginny's sleeping form and poke her gently. When she stirs and sees that it's me, she turns over... trying to go back to sleep.

"Ginny" I whisper. "Get up, I want to show you something amazing."

And at those words, she perks her head curiously and looks at me. Sighing, she slowly puts on her one pair of clothes and follows me outside into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

Approaching Tonks, I grab Ginny's waist and beg her to be quiet. She frowns and continues with me to the corner of the stone walls. Pink hair becoming more visible, Ginny halts and starts to fall under my grasp. I hold her up and make her walk the short distance to our old friend. Tears can now be seen on Ginny's face as she completes the short distance quickly and hugs Tonks.

"Tonks" she gasps happily. "You are here."

And with that simple statement, I realize our pain and suffering would be relieved shortly.

Emerging from our hugs and tears, Tonks puts on a more serious face.

"I have been trying to find the whereabouts of you two forever! But before any real explanations can be made, I have something to tell you."

Ginny and I hold hands, apprehensively waiting.

"Harry is alive."

I knelt to the ground, waiting for the statement that I wanted to be true for so long, finally coming to my ears for enjoyment. I start to bawl with a new set of tears.

Ginny stood there open-mouthed, unable to believe it herself. She just simply stayed quiet.

"We found his magic trace last evening, around the area at the old burrow site. We believe he is trying to find the Order."

I look up for the first time. "We?" I croaked. "Who is we?"

Tonks smiled again, "The Order, Hermione…it still exists. Just has different members than would be expected. Most of the old members have been tossed into camps just like this one. But with the number of camps increasing everyday in size, I have only just reached this one. Do you two even know where you are?"

I shook my head, "I figure somewhere South on the globe…judging by extreme heat during the day."

Tonks sighs and reaches into her pocket, pulling out two vials of clear liquid. "Well ladies, we can't stay here all night and catch up, we need to get you out of here!"

She furthermore pulls out a plastic small bag containing hair of all sorts. I look at her. "Polyjuice?" I ask.

She nods. "However, it isn't human hair. You two need to be changed into animals." I grimace…remembering the last time I tried the polyjuice potion with cat hair.


	5. Chapter 5

Tonks plucks a brown and black hair from the bag and tosses each into the vials. The clear liquid turns murky and clumpy, smelling of urine.

"What animals?" I ask, taking my own brown vial.

"Rats" Tonks simply states.

Ginny whimpers but holds her nose as she gulps it down. I do the same, and in minutes I feel my skin bubble and my eye sight turn black and white.

Down, down we go… getting smaller by the second until we are two black and brown rats. Tonks picks us up, excited that it was successful, and whispers for us to follow her. Setting us down, she screws up her face and quickly becomes a pristine white rat herself. She squeaks and she sets off at a brisk pace. Still getting used to my rat paws…I stumble but slowly pick up my speed as I follow her into a hole in the stone wall we could barely fit through.

Outside the wall was a great, tall grass field. The site could have been considered beautiful if it weren't for the eerie dementors patrolling the perimeter. Remembering awhile back that Sirius escaped Azkaban because he was a dog finally hit me. They couldn't sense us because we weren't human anymore…. I squeaked in joy and started to run fast along with the white and black rats that were Tonks and Ginny. We were free, at least in this form.

Getting safely away, we wait in the trees to turn back into ourselves. It didn't take long. We had luckily made use of our entire hour of potion traveling across the immense field.

"Now then," Tonks pants, as she changes back. "I have some borrowed wands members of the Order gave up temporarily. Hopefully you can apparate with them."

I took the wand, still vividly remembering my own that was taken from me so long ago. Compared to mine, this one was short and thick, and emitted yellow sparks when given to me. I grimaced.

"Ooo, this one feels like my old wand!" Ginny exclaims.

"Good for you…" I sneer…trying to conceal my jealousy. Those old feelings were starting to emmerge again, so I preoccupy myself with the fake studying of the failing wand still in my hands.

"Ok, ready to head out?" Tonks started to walk towards us happily, making preparations for our departure. Handing us both a piece of paper, she turns on the spot and leaves. "See you soon!" We call out.

I look down, read the location and concentrate with as much energy as possible. I turn into blackness.

*Authors Note* - I understand poly-juice isn't used for animal hairs, but.. Lets just pretend that it doesn't apply. :D

More Chapters coming soon… but I need to study for a Stats exam. I know my chapters are short, and Its only because I needed to set up the where the characters were coming from and how things need to start out. My next chapters will be about the length of these chapters combined. Thank you!! Much love,

LondonLondon


	6. Chapter 6

I collapse as I hit the ground... it had been awhile since I had appararted.

Ginny grabs my waist to let me know she was there, good thing too... it was extremely dark.

"...but that can't be possible! Potter was killed by Voldemort, we saw his body!"

I squint into the darkness and see multiple shadowy figures ahead in a drawing room, only lit by a small fire. "Hello?" I ask croakily. The voices abruptly stop.

A figure hurries towards us out of the darkness and pulls Ginny and I into a tight-gripped hug. "Oh Ginny, Hermione! You're alive, thank goodness Tonks found you! I just received her patronous an hour ago!" Ginny screams as she hugs her mother, and I gulp down a huge lump that was rising in my throat.

A sobbing Mrs. Weasley held onto us until Tonks pulled her off and led her to an armchair. My weakened body could barely support her weight, but nonetheless, I was happy to see another familiar face. Mrs. Weasley led us to some chairs and continued to hug us as we all cried happily in each other's arms. "Oh dear Merlin, I can't believe this!" Mrs. Weasley sobs.

"Is Ron...alive?" The last word caught in my throat, dreading any terrible news. "Yes, he is Hermione. He is currently working with Charlie undercover."

I sigh in relief, another huge weight lifted off of my shoulders.

"No one else knows of your arrival or that you're even alive! They will all be pleased to see you!"

Sitting back in the armchair, I felt for the first time that my life was going to continue. I was so drained and malnourished however, that I could barely exclaim any more emotions.

"C'mon, let's get some sleep into you two, you need your rest." Tonks led us up some stairs that creaked with dust during every step, and the multiple voices continued back in the drawing rooms as if there had been no interruption.

We reached the 4th floor and was led into an old bedroom that smelled of moss and dampness. Ahead of us was a large lumpy mattress supported by a rusty, old bed-frame.

"Hmm this is kind of old fashioned, don't ya think?"

Tonks lifted her wand and transfigured the bed into a more comfortable 4-poster.

"Thanks," I mutter. I was drained from all of the exciting events that had happened that day, and the wand that I had borrowed was just about as useful as a rock in my pocket.

"No problem, here drink this... it will help with your quality of rest." Tonks set down some clothes for the next day, and handed Ginny and I some goblets.

Grasping the steaming potion, I gulped it down and started to feel emotionless as my eyes drifted off to sleep and thoughts of once being a slave began to vanish.

The next morning dawned bright and early, and I was woken up by the smell of breakfast. Slowly opening my eyes, I wanted to make sure it all wasn't just a dream. I squint over at Ginny's sleeping form and decide to go investigate the house without waking her up. It was after all, the first night of full sleep that we had had in six years. I walk over to the other side of a room, and see a miniature mirror propped up onto an old vanity desk. I sit down and look into a mirror for the first time in ages.

The cracked glass didn't hide my many imperfections as I had hoped. My reflection was ghastly. My eyes were sunken and dull with dark circles, hair knotted, dirty and frizzier than ever before. My skin was a pasty white, and I had no flush in my cheeks. I started to quietly cry... I had never looked so diminished, and it was just so depressing. Wiping some tears I remember my hunger and quickly got up to look for the clothes Tonks had set out the night before. Getting dressed, I did my best to clean up my appearance and set out to find the delicious smell that was teasing my senses. Tip-toeing on the dusty, wooden boards, I let myself out of the room to look for the staircase.


End file.
